Repent! The End Of The World Is Near!
There is always someone some where that is predicting the end of the world….remember 2012? The Maya told us that there was nothing after that….or how about when they cranked up the new collider in Switzerland….it would create a black hole that would destroy the earth….and we are still here…doing the same stupid stuff….
But the news yesterday was the most devastating and could possibly signal the end of civilization as we know it……
First, you suffered through a Christmas without whipped cream. Now, you could be facing a bacon-less Super Bowl—unless you’re willing to pay a premium for a crispy slice of heaven. As of December, there were 17.8 million pounds of frozen pork belly, which is made into bacon, in US reserves, according to the Department of Agriculture. That might seem like a lot of bacon, but it’s actually the lowest level since record-keeping began in January 1957. As the Cincinnati Enquirer puts it, “there are literally not enough little piggies going to market.”
Pig farmers are actually “producing more pigs than ever,” says Rich Deaton of the Ohio Pork Council, “yet our reserves are still depleting.” The Enquirer notes foreign buyers may be responsible; 26% of pork produced in the US is exported. Apart from being amazed that a bacon reserve exists, consumers appear terrified by the prospect of a bacon shortage. But Deaton says the “pork industry will not run out of supply.” Consumers should, however, expect to pay more for bacon at grocery stores. Prices have already spiked 20% last month. As for when we were most flush with frozen pork belly, that would be 1988, when there were 113.1 million pounds on hand
OMG! Will the horrors never end?
Since we are talking about bacon….one of my fave sandwiches is a BLT. But recently they have not been all that good…..it is the tomatoes. They just do not have that great fresh taste that they use to have.
I remember as a kid waiting for that first tomato off my grandmothers garden…then a tomato sandwich with mayo and a little salt….NOTHING tasted better than a fresh pulled tomato….what happened?
All this GMO crap has killed the taste of tomatoes….but the “Mr. Wizards” in the lab may have solved that problem…..
It’s high time for tomatoes to taste like tomatoes again, and a group of researchers believes it knows how to make that happen, according to a study published Thursday in Science. The Smithsonian reports tomatoes found in today’s grocery stores are “nearly unrecognizable” from what tomatoes used to look and taste like. They’re up to 1,000 times larger and can last ages without rotting, but they’ve also lost their tomato-y taste. Researchers studying nearly 400 varieties of tomato discovered at least 25 chemicals and aroma compounds that combine to create what we think of as a tomato’s flavor. But they found 13 of those were “significantly reduced” in modern tomato varieties, either because growers were breeding for cheaper, bigger, longer-lasting tomatoes, or because they just weren’t paying attention.
Not only did researchers figure out the chemicals and compounds responsible for a tomato’s taste, but the 100 genes it takes to make sure they’re present, the Guardian reports. According to the Los Angeles Times, researchers believe they can use that knowledge to breed tomatoes that taste as good as they used to. And while that may not be a realistic outcome for mass-produced tomatoes—because capitalism—researcher Harry Klee believes they can still bring back some lost flavor in tomatoes that can stand up to the trip from farm to store to dinner table. He says the science can also be applied to other fruits that have lost their traditional taste, such as strawberries.
May I have an AMEN?
Peace out my friends….I see you guys tomorrow…….chuq